Photo ID: 114181 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, August 6, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Coal Creek (MP 23) Arvada, CO 119 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific An ES44AC and a freshly painted C44ACM lead an eastbound coal load through the S-Curves at the base of Coal Creek Canyon. You can just see the bridge over CO-72 in the background. After a few cooler days, the temperature is set to get up into the mid-90s again today, but the weather is just perfect this morning. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114180 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, August 6, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Rainbow Cut Jefferson County, CO 122 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific On the main at Plain, this coal load is approaching Rainbow Cut, about halfway through the siding. It will continue east to Eisele (Clay), where it will meet a westbound coal empty, and the morning Zephyr. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114179 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, August 6, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 2 (MP 25.4, 516 ft) Jefferson County, CO 116 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific A pair of units leads an eastbound coal train out of Tunnel 2 and toward a green signal at the west end of Plain. The train loaded at the only coal mine still loading in Colorado, the West Elk Mine on the North Fork Branch. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114178 Date Shot Photo By Thursday, August 6, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 3 (MP 25.8, 369 ft) Jefferson County, CO 135 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific An eastbound coal load snakes its way through Tunnel 4, Tunnel 3, and is approach Tunnel 2 as it crosses over the fill that washed out back in September 2013 during record levels of rainfall. This morning, there isn't a cloud in the sky. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114177 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, August 4, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 121 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer UP is putting together a maintenance team that is preparing to head west out the west end of Plain behind a BNSF Denver-Provo and the Canyon Spirit, which is passing by right now. As soon as the train clears the west end of Plain, DS-378 will issue track and time to the crew. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114176 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, August 4, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Arvada, CO 123 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Rocky Mountaineer The Canyon Spirit GP40-3s are still out of service after striking an oil truck (semi) in Rifle back in May. I am not sure when they will be returning to the train. In the meantime, a pair of UP SD70Ms continue to fill in as the power. The train is headed west at Plain, ready to make another round trip between Denver and Salt Lake City. It'll return east here next Sunday. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114175 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, August 4, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 2 (MP 25.4, 516 ft) Jefferson County, CO 107 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A pair of DPUs bring up the back end of a westbound BNSF Denver-Provo manifest. The DPUs are about to disappear in Tunnel 2, as the train ahead is in Tunnel 3, Tunnel 4, Tunnel 5, and Tunnel 6. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114174 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, August 4, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 3 (MP 25.8, 369 ft) Jefferson County, CO 114 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF You cannot go wrong with a this perspective of a westbound BNSF Denver-Provo as it makes its way in and out of multiple tunnels in the lower end of the Tunnel District. The head is is approaching Tunnel 4, while the train is also in Tunnel 3 and Tunnel 2. You can see the back end of the train, still back on the main track at Plain. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114173 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, August 4, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Tunnel 3 (MP 25.8, 369 ft) Jefferson County, CO 110 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF BNSF 6404 and train departs the west end of Tunnel 3 on its way west in the Tunnel District. You can see part of the train in the distance, crossing over the fill that washed out during record rain storms back in September 2013. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114172 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, August 4, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Jefferson County, CO 114 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF BNSF 2549 is a GP39-3 that was rebuilt from a GP30. When the unit was rebuilt, the classic GP30 cab was replaced with a "spartan cab", and the center (smaller) radiator fan was completely removed. The unit is likely being taken to Grand Junction or Provo (or possibly Parachute) to serve as a switch engine. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114171 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, August 4, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Plain (6,530 ft) Jefferson County, CO 114 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) BNSF A westbound BNSF Denver-Provo has the standard three units on the head end, plus a GP39-3 (former GP30). The train is still moving fairly slowly due to multiple slow orders that are out on the Moffat at the moment. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114170 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, August 4, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 100 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific As UP 7154 rounds the east edge of Big Ten Curve, we see the two DPUs bringing up the tail end back on the main at Eisele (Clay). Big Ten Curve is one of a handful of locations where a crew on the head end of their train can very clearly see the back end. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114169 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, August 4, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 130 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific UP 7154 heads around Big Ten Curve in the foreground as the Canyon Spirit heads west in the siding at Eisele (Clay) in the distance. The two trains just met each other, and both are now continuing on their respective journeys. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114168 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, August 4, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Big Ten Curve (MP 19.5 to MP 20.2) Arvada, CO 116 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Three units lead an eastbound oil train as it rounds the curve coming out of Eisele (Clay) on the south ridge of Big Ten Curve. There has been crazy high temperatures the last several weeks, browning much of the green grass. However, there is still quite a bit of green grass here. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 114167 Date Shot Photo By Tuesday, August 4, 2026 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP DS020 (East Eisele (Clay)) Arvada, CO 115 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Moffat Tunnel (UP) Union Pacific Union Pacific has seemingly been bouncing back and forth a bit between the Moffat and the Overland when it comes to running oil trains. At certain points, UP oil trains seem to have completely disappeared from the Moffat. At the moment, however, they are certainly back. An eastbound load is leaving the east end of Eisele (Clay) on the coolest day in several weeks. It is only around 64ºF (18ºC) this morning for the meet with a westbound BNSF Denver-Provo and the Canyon Spirit. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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